Do I need a new pistol? Help me out here...

Currently, I own two automatic pistols. A Colt Government Model and a CZ-97B.

The CZ-97 was the first decent handgun I ever purchased. I got it right after my 21st birthday. It's a had a few rounds through it, had a factory throat & polish, and had the guide rod replaced with a skinny CZ-75 one for a heavier recoil spring.

It's also had the small pin that holds the loaded chamber indicator walk out on me.

It's very accurate, and has a nice trigger. It's a big grip, though. Bigger than it needs to be perhaps?

Thing is, I haven't shot in going on two years now. Remember that for one year and 4.5 months of that time, I wasn't at home.

The Colt is a very nice pistol, and has never jammed on me. That can't be said of the CZ; the CZ had some real teething problems when it came to feeding hollow points.

The CZ is a touch more accurate, I think, but the Colt is easy to shoot. I still need to get an ambi safety on the Colt, but heck...I haven't fired it in a long time either.

I'm so busy I don't get to go to the range much. When I do go, I mostly focus on my revolver shooting. The 625 at first, more recently my 686, but also my snubby.

I've been thinking, though. I'm contemplating selling the CZ, even though I have a brand new left handed hoslter for it. I mean, I like it, but I never use it.

So...I don't know. I like the Colt, but sometimes I get a hankerin' for something different. That's rare for me; normally my gun lust revolves around S&W revolvers (haw!) Something must be going on if I'm actually thinking about auto pistols.

-Glock: Grip frame does not fit my hand, period.
-Sig: Controls are not lefty-friendly. I can't reach the slide release.
-HK: Eh...maybe...maybe...a USP-45 tactical...but I don't like the mag release and they're overpriced
-Springfield: The XD-45 fits my hand a lot better than the Glock...about as well as the CZ-97, actually. Tolerable trigger for a plastic gun, and seems put together well enough
-Ruger: I've thought about the Ruger KP345, but if I'm going to do this I should get a double stack. I'm not going to be selling my Colt over this.

Okay...so what else is out there? Any suggestions?

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ugaarguy

July 8, 2006, 06:18 AM

Mr. Nightcrawler,

You clearly need one of the pistols from your great story, The BHP. It's the perfect bridge between the 1911 and FAL. BHP & 1911 are both JMB designed, FAL & BHP are both FN manufactured & the BHP design was finished within FN; but you already knew all that. Anyway, it ain't a 45 ACP, but it is a classic that fits the collection.

- Uga

SgtRich

July 8, 2006, 06:47 AM

Springfield Armory XD-45 ACP! You say that you've held one and it fits your hand. See if you can rent one. You won't be sorry!

Cousin Mike

July 8, 2006, 09:25 AM

Sounds to me like you've gotten the itch for a new pistol... Nothing you can do but go ahead and scratch!:D The Sig P220 seems to fit your wants in a new pistol. It's a .45ACP (non-1911 or CZ) with a nice sized grip that most people seem to find very comfortable. My girlfriend is a lefty with tiny hands, and she loves my Sigs. I guess it's all about finding your own technique. The P220 a pleasure to shoot! It's probably the pistol I am most accurate with. Lots of times when firing rapidly, I shoot perfectly vertical groups with it, which still cracks me up. I can't do that with any other pistol I own.

I like the grip of the pistol itself, but put Hogue finger grips on mine as I have really big hands. Mine was an old police trade-in with a nice amount of holster wear on it. I got her around Christmas just passed. Since then, I've put somewhere in the neighborhood of 3500-4000 rounds through it, and it hasn't hiccuped once no matter what kind of ammo I've used. Field strip is simple and instant, and it's the 1st gun I'd reach for if the SHTF.

My only warning... Sigs are addictive. Don't say I never told you so :evil:

Nightcrawler

July 8, 2006, 09:45 AM

Again though...I can't reach the slide release on a Sig pistol. I'm left-handed, and I use my trigger finger to hit the slide and magazine releases.

I have to wonder if it's worth it to buy a new pistol, though, since I don't bother shooting my automatics all that much. Hrmm.

kansas45

July 8, 2006, 12:21 PM

There seem's to be some issues with the Ruger KP345. My son had a few with his but all is well now. I will be getting one of them.
As far as the XD, I think they are hard to beat. I've put almost 4000 round's through my XD45 Tactical in the last 3 or 4 month's & like it very well!:cool:

Zen21Tao

July 8, 2006, 04:58 PM

I like the Sig P220 and the HK USP. You might also consider an AR15 Carbine in .45

Tropical Z

July 8, 2006, 04:58 PM

-Glock: Grip frame does not fit my hand, period.
Glocks don't fit anybody....people buy them because someone tells them too.Glock engineers need to pick up a SW9VE for 2 seconds so they can see what ergonomics are all about.

Chupacabra

July 8, 2006, 06:23 PM

XD45 sounds like a good choice to me. Good trigger and good ergonomics. I don't think they are lefty friendly though.

How about a P2000? Fully ambidextrous and they come in a bunch of different variants, including DA/SA as well as the LEM trigger. Biggest sticking point is that that H&K doesn't have a 45ACP version. Just 9mm, .357SiG, and 40S&W. And they have that weird mag release, but you get used to it. :D

10-Ring

July 8, 2006, 06:52 PM

I'd go w/ the USP Tactical ;) I'm a HK fan. I've had great luck w/ the HK's I've had over the years...& the Tac is a gooder one! :D

Pilot

July 8, 2006, 07:31 PM

I an a huge CZ fan, but for my second .45 (I have a Springfield 1911A1) I chose the HK USP Tactical. Nice trigger, soft shooting and very accurate. I like the threaded barrel if I decide to add a suppressor some day.

makarovnik

July 8, 2006, 07:37 PM

I would try one of the Para Ordinance double stacks or the XD-45. Don't sell the Ruger 345 short. The slide is a bit fat but the grip is comfortable. They have also done away with the hump near the takedown lever. I would recommend going to your local range and renting anything you're interested in before buying. If it's a good pistol that can go thousands of rounds, the range will probably have it.

Nightcrawler

July 8, 2006, 08:24 PM

I went up to my local range and put down a hundred rounds of .45 through the CZ-97B and the Colt.

Both were accurate, neither gave me any trouble. The CZ is faster on follow up shots because it's heavier, but the Colt is easier to shoot (especially one handed). Its wide double stack mag makes the CZ easier to reload quickly as well.

The Colt...I wonder if the 1911 type grip isn't too short for me. Not to wide or too long, but too short. The base of my hand kind of hangs down below the grip, and it can be a touch uncomfortable during recoil.

Looking through their rental guns, I handled a full sized S&W, a 1006, I believe. The trigger wasn't great (it was just sad compared to the one on my CZ), and I don't like a slide mounted safety, but the gun fit my hand very very well.

Too bad they stopped making them 10 years ago (the 1006 and the 4506).

chipp

July 8, 2006, 08:38 PM

of course you need a new pistol. I say buy one and if your not that crazy about it buy the next and so on.

Majic

July 8, 2006, 09:13 PM

If you have 2 pistols with no real complaints about them and you don't shoot them then why selling one or both of them just to get another really change anything? After a short period of time and the new gun syndrome wears off you still may go back to shooting the revolvers and you will be back to square one minus some money.

Chris Rhines

July 8, 2006, 09:50 PM

Try shooting the Glock with a thumbs-forward grip. I bet you'll like it a whole lot better. 99% of the people I see complaining about the Glock grip are shooting with their thumbs crossed.

I'd avoid the HK USP. Every one I've ever seen at a competition (six at last count) has had major feeding problems. As best I can tell, the vaunted HK bombproof reliability is an urban myth.

The Springfield XD is a very nice gun ruined by a grip safety. I hate grip safeties. If you can stand them, the XD would be a good choice.

Maybe a doublestack 1911? Para-Ord PXT Limited? Caspian?

- Chris

Nightcrawler

July 8, 2006, 10:05 PM

I don't mind the Springfield's grip safety. Fine tradeoff for the superior trigger.

If you like the guns you have now why sell? Every gun I have sold, sometime down the road a year or two I end up saying " Gee I wish I kept that gun">>.

1911_CQB

July 8, 2006, 11:02 PM

XD's a good choice in any caliber.

LiquidTension

July 8, 2006, 11:59 PM

Of your choices it seems like you've already scratched the Sig and Glock offerings off of your list.

For me, the HK mag release is the easiest to operate with my left hand. I really like my USP and have had exactly zero problems with it. I believe the Tactical has ambi safety levers, correct? You are, unfortunately, quite right about the price - they're up there. Last I saw the Tactical at CDNN was $870.

On the other hand, the XD fits you, is cheaper, has a better (for you) mag release, and higher capacity. Seems like your choice is already mostly made. I'm not recommending a Caspian or other higher end hicap 1911 since you've shown reluctance to pay $900 for an HK which is cheaper than most of the custom 1911s.

SgtRich

July 9, 2006, 01:51 AM

XD45 sounds like a good choice to me. Good trigger and good ergonomics. I don't think they are lefty friendly though.

Why would you think that? The XD's all have an ambidextrous magazine release. The only lever that is not ambidextrous on the pistol is the slide release, which a lot of people don't use anyway. There are a lot of people who pull the slide back and release to chamber the first round of a new magazine. I'm a lefty and I love my XD.

Nightcrawler

July 9, 2006, 01:56 AM

The ambi mag releases are neat and all, but I've never had a use for them. Same with ambi slide releases. I've trained to do everything with my trigger finger. Mag release and slide release.

Besides. I've got stubby thumbs. On most pistols I have a hard time reaching these controls with my thumb when firing right handed, so it's a good thing I'm a lefty!

Chupacabra

July 9, 2006, 02:05 AM

The XD's all have an ambidextrous magazine release.

You're right. My bad. For some reason I thought the XDs had it on only the left side.

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